Deontay Wilder still confident a fight with Anthony Joshua will be made

Deontay Wilder is still confident a fight against Anthony Joshua “will be made”.

The WBC heavyweight world champion is due to be back in the ring before the end of the year but even if it is not going to be a unification showdown with Joshua, the American still expects the pair will fight at some point.

“I think the fight will be made. Just that this time around when you come to the table, you’ll have to come correct. This will be a 50-50 fight. And that’s the bottom line.”

Wilder insists he still had not been given a contract with any proposed date or venue on it, despite Joshua’s two-fight deal with Wembley Stadium meaning he will be fighting on September 22 and then April 13.

Hearn has said that ‘AJ’ will sign a contract for the unification fight with Wilder in April. With the deal based on a flat fee following the American’s initial call-out, Hearn believes Wilder’s “fee should go down” but the ‘Bronze Bomber’ is far from satisfied.

“We’ve tried everything… I’m not going to sign a contract that doesn’t have a date, that doesn’t have a venue,” he said.

“Nah, that’s one-sided. This contract is straight blind, one-sided, anyone who’s talking about ‘just sign it’ you can kiss me where the sun don’t shine, baby, because that ain’t never happening.”

Wilder is expected to take on mandatory challenger Dominic Breazeale next, with Joshua expected to do the same with WBA counterpart Alexander Povetkin next.

Breazeale took AJ seven rounds back in 2016 and stopped fellow world title challenger Eric Molina in November and was confirmed as the WBC’s No 1 challenger.

“The fans can expect to see me back in the ring very soon,” said Wilder.

“We’ve got a great thing going and we’re going to show the world that I am definitely the true heavyweight champion of the world. America has a great champion in Deontay Wilder and once I unify the division everyone can have a chance.

“The heavyweight division is too small to have so many champions. It’s a must, it’s a need to have one champion. One face, one name, and that’s me.”